Paris Jackson Opens Up About Addiction and Recovery

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]because you you went you went to treatment pretty young, right?

[00:00:02]>> Yeah. Well, I went I've been to treatment several times. I I've been to treatment I'd gone a few times prior to getting sober off of drugs and alcohol and I went uh to some institutions after getting sober as well.

[00:00:15]>> Um including like the Hoffman Institute which I just >> I hear great things.

[00:00:21]>> Oh my god. If you haven't been >> I have not been but I hear everyone I know that's gone there has that exact same.

[00:00:26]>> It's such an expansive experience. like truly just incredible. Um I've been to several institutions like that that do intensive workshops um for therapy like Big Therapy Girly. Um but I won't get too much into like what it was like and what happened. Um but it just I got off of some pretty heavy drugs >> and realized that I also had an issue with alcohol. um which is typically how it goes for for for people like me. Um you put one thing down, you pick up another.

[00:01:01]>> And uh I just the the behavior is really ugly.

[00:01:07]>> Yeah.

[00:01:07]>> It's really ugly behavior uh in a in a moral way because I was raised um to be kind.

[00:01:15]>> Yeah.

[00:01:16]>> And not nice. I could give a [ __ ] about being nice, but being kind and like looking people in the eye and like asking the waiter their name so you can write it down on the receipt later and just little things of just like how do you treat people?

[00:01:26]>> True.

[00:01:27]>> And um you I went through years and years and years of of self-hatred. Um like oh I may be like a liar, a cheater, a piece of [ __ ] a thief, whatever. But like I do have a good moral compass.

[00:01:38]Like I was raised right in that way. Um and what happens when I drink is that goes away. that goes right out the window and I become a very vindictive person.

[00:01:47]>> What do you think addiction is?

[00:01:52]>> Well, if we're just talking about substances, I think there is a physical aspect. Um, I think there is it's some kind of allergic reaction where, you know, once we start, we can't stop.

[00:02:06]>> Sure.

[00:02:06]>> Um, but I think >> even people that don't have substance abuse issues have addiction issues to some extent. And I think that is some kind of a void >> um a spirituality if you will that it just you know the only thing that can truly satiate that is uh some kind of spiritual something. Do uh now I know from my own experience, you know, being sober and doing the work, I could kind of pinpoint markers in my in my youth where my addiction was present just without realizing like I was a fullon pyromaniac when I was a kid. Like I used to set everything on fire and this was you know grew up in the 90s when everyone smoked still and so cigarettes and you know lighters and matches were always around. Um, did you have anything like that when you were younger?

[00:03:01]>> I loved setting things on fire. [ __ ] yeah. I loved setting things on fire.

[00:03:04]Um, there were definitely a lot of telltale signs that there was something that kind of set me apart from my peers.

[00:03:12]>> Um, when I was younger, uh, like I struggled with self harm for a really long time, like before I ever had my first drink or drug. Um, and I had weird relationships with with overeating and food as a as a young kid. Um, and just there was this overall reachy, graspy energy that uh I only ever really see in other addicts is just this graspiness. Um, and reaching for something outside of yourself that um I've I've always had that. Yeah, >> I've always had that with people, too.

[00:03:48]Like reaching for people, you know, and that's been a a huge thing for me, learning how to be in right relationship with myself.

[00:03:54]um learning how to not be in consuming relationships with anything.

[00:03:58]>> Yeah.

[00:03:58]>> Which is like a day-to-day thing. Um but it's it's been probably the most um non-tangible rewarding thing.

[00:04:09]>> Yeah. Yeah. And you just celebrated 6 years. Is that correct?

[00:04:13]>> January 7th.

[00:04:14]>> Congratulations. That's awesome. I know.

[00:04:16]It's good stuff.